Returning Ranger Rogers Takes Charge

ARLINGTON, Texas — The hip new trend in the American League last winter was finding a left-hander to beat the New York Yankees in the playoffs.

Cleveland went out and spent $27 million on aging lefty Chuck Finley, while the Rangers acquired three left-handed starters in Kenny Rogers, Justin Thompson and Darren Oliver.

But after shutting down the White Sox in the season opener Monday, Rogers admitted it was sort of silly to put the cart before the horse.

"You have to get to the playoffs first," Rogers said. "I don't think any player looks at that point yet. It's a long, long season and things happen. Cleveland has a team that should make the playoffs, so maybe they should look at it like that, but I don't think anyone here takes it for granted that we're supposed to make the playoffs. We know we have a fight on our hands. Being left-handed just to face a certain team in the playoffs doesn't mean much if you don't get to face them."

When last seen in a real game, Rogers was in a New York Mets uniform, walking Atlanta's Andruw Jones with the bases loaded to force in the winning run in extra innings in the decisive sixth game of the National League Championship Series. Before Monday's game, the Sox put a note on their clubhouse board reading: "Be patient. He doesn't like to go deep in the count."

Indeed, Rogers threw a first-pitch ball to 11 of the first 14 Sox hitters. But he walked only two and got three double plays, effectively spoiling the Sox's strategy.

"Kenny Rogers is a crafty pitcher," Frank Thomas said. "He's always changing speeds and keeping you off balance. You have to tip your cap to Kenny. A veteran big-league starter beat us today."

Rogers ran his home winning streak to 19 games, tying for third on the all-time list. Amazingly, Rogers has done it in four home parks--Yankee Stadium, the Coliseum in Oakland, Shea Stadium and now the Ballpark in Arlington.

"I think I was comfortable in Oakland my first year there and I shouldn't have lost a game there," Rogers said. "I pitched well every time out. Last year in the first half, there were a few I should've lost, but we scored enough runs where they got me off the hook. But the year before [with Oakland] it wasn't [lucky], and with the Mets last year it wasn't."

But Rogers had to share the Opening Day heroics with Gabe Kapler and Ivan Rodriguez, who hit a pair of home runs apiece off Mike Sirotka to make Rogers' job a lot easier. Kapler's Texas debut was one for the books, making Texans more comfortable about losing star right-fielder Juan Gonzalez.

"He's been a Triple-A MVP before, just like [Paul] Konerko," Thomas said of Kapler. "He has that special talent. Who knows? It could've been his best game of the season. But he had a heck of a game."

So did Rodriguez, who had five RBIs and crushed a thigh-high cut fastball from Sirotka for a three-run homer in the third that iced the game.

"There are not many guys in this league who can hit that pitch hard, let alone keep it fair," Sirotka said. "It really shows you what kind of talent he has, to get the barrel of the bat inside the baseball and keep it fair. I make my living pitching inside to righties."